Elder dragon ecology : Nergigante in Monster Hunter

[@diegodankquixote-wry3242]

Each Nergigante spike being a possible baby Nergigante is the biggest flashbang in one of these videos yet. Wut?

[@burnoutcat2387]

Something similar going on with each bit of frenzy spread by Shagaru Magala Which leads me to think Nergi and the Magalas are distantly related but I guess being bulky and reproducing asexually by spreading stuff around isn't enough tbh

[@g1sunstreaker584]

A hunter who didn't dodge at the right time might be on for a terrible surprise. Or an interesting new pet.

[@matheusbianquincera3104]

A self impregnating durian

[@WyattStrange]

​@@burnoutcat2387There's also the fact that gameplay wise, the magalas and nergi share a unique skeleton rig not used by any other elders that allows them to manipulate their wings as if they were a second pair of forelimbs.

[@burnoutcat2387]

@@WyattStrange I wonder if Gaismagorm would have something similar going on if he was smaller... I mean he and KINDA already does but still. Gogmazios is close but his wings aren't hands enough (though to be fair wings are just giant hands anyway...)

[@captaint.tearex9279]

“Again, denoting anything to anyone outside of a punch to the face isn’t really Nergigante’s style.” These kinda of lines in your dry lecture tone are one of the many reasons we love you.

[@davidegaruti2582]

Yeah they take you completely off guard

[@Stratelier]

_"Other than having Nerg be in some way portrayed by David Tennant, there's no real way you can communicate that something is going to Regenerate."_ This, too.

[@LezbianLizard]

"and great izuchi gets completely folded by the wirebug with no way to counter it" in the context of how starter monsters should tell you what the game is about is propably my favourite of these lines

[@captaint.tearex9279]

@@LezbianLizard R E A L .

[@hawkticus_history_corner]

Ah, my favorite Elder Dragon. I love the big bruiser hes just so- *NERGIGANTE OUT OF NOWHERE WITH THE STEEL CHAIR!!*

[@masterridley8593]

The mental image of an actual nergi holding a giant metal chair is too good. :)

[@rockshlobster6873]

HES JUMPING FROM THE TOP ROPE

[@Animortar]

It's never not funny when Unnatural History takes every opportunity to shit on Magnamalo every chance he gets.

[@shadowdragon1396]

As deserved tbh Although Scorned Magnamalo can stay tho. So edgy it goes full circle into being cool. Great fight too, unlike normal Magna.

[@siei3i37]

​@shadowdragon1396 Normal Magna is awesome. Let me have what you're smoking

[@Animortar]

@@siei3i37 It's fine If you like Magnamalo, I think he's pretty cool too, but It's weird that In a game that treats It's Monsters as serious, living animals we get such an overblown design that looks like it was made by an 11 year-old.

[@ordinarydork2515]

@@AnimortarGlavenus is just as over designed as Magnamalo and yet yall love the guy. That doesn’t seem fair

[@raydhen8840]

@@ordinarydork2515 I'd say it's up to executions. Glavenus main hunting weapon is the tail, & it's pretty consistent on that. Magnamalo in comparison got tail, the forearms blades, & the retractable fangs, all coated by hellfireblight (blastblight all but name) that allow it to propel itself high in the sky anime-style feels overblown as a result.

[@azuremoon2096]

I think one of the biggest reasons why I love Nergignate as a whole is because his entire existence feels like one big double edged sword.

[@Yutyrant95]

I love how "weird" all the Elder Dragons are. I think a video on just flat-out E.D evolution would be really cool, or at least phylogeny

[@troutinspace5427]

Personally given the 6 limbs I’d say elders are a clade of tetrapods entirely unique to monster hunters world. And if UHC’s theory from Kushalas video that at least some elders come from times of heavy volcanic activity long ago was true along with how derived some of them are than elders phylogeny might be like the relationship between crocodiles and birds being the last survivors of ancient lineages that were much more diverse in the past and diverged long ago At least for some of them ones like Malzeno Kushala Fatalis that resemble European dragons I can see having a more recent common ancestor but others like Gizmagorm or Nergagante I think would have split off a long time ago Edit now that I’m thinking about it Gizmagorm might actually be closely related to Shra ishvalda, Zorah magderos (would be its closer relative) and more distantly dalamdur as the ladder twos lack of wings would make since if they came from a burrowing ancestor with the former two

[@Yutyrant95]

@@troutinspace5427 wouldn't they be hexapods then?

[@troutinspace5427]

@@Yutyrant95 technically yes I should have said lobbe finned fish Early lob finned fish hade 5 like eustenopteron and coelacanth have 5 fins my theory is one of these types of fish with a hox gene mutation became terrestrial and gave rise to elder dragons This would explain why there hard to classify since they diverged from other terrestrial animals in the mid Devonian and fits with the idea that elders as a group were much more diverse in the past

[@flygonsarchives]

Always liked Iceborne’s scene of ruiner chomping on Shara Ishvalda like a peach

[@alvaroherrero498]

Hunter: “Oh look, the last ripe peach!, I’ll save it for the Handler!, she loves peaches SO much”. Nergigantay: “Oh look, the last ripe peach!, I’ll use it as a treat in my daily smoothie”.

[@ShukakuTheCrazy1]

I love this oversized winged spikeball. No lazers, no energy balls, just pure raw damage. Simple, but not boringly so. Its honestly satisfying to break off all the spikes with whatever weapon im using. I actually had to swap weapons to beat him in my first playthrough of world

[@GunlessSnake]

Something I like about Nergigante is the fact that he's a very good natural counter to the average Elder Dragon or normal Monster who tends to have quite a focus on spewing out elemental energies or otherwise manipulating their environment. Because of his extreme regeneration, he's something of a persistence predator in that he can recklessly target prey with full physical force, and doesn't have to worry about retreat for fear of injury for the most part. However, I like to imagine that these persistence traits evolved BECAUSE Nergigante is smaller than you'd expect for such a powerful beast. We have to remember that, for the most part, something like a mature Rathalos or Tigrex is very much equivalent to their inspirational motifs of things like lions and tigers. The Monster Hunter universe had its own giants who roamed the lands long ago, from ages where Elder Dragons themselves likely hailed from prominently. I speculate that Nergigante started out as a prey species, developing prominent thorns and regenerative abilities to survive other larger normal Monster and Elder Dragon species. Over time, as the giants died off and Monsters as a whole shrunk down for the most part, Nergigante's ancestors would find themselves in a unique position since they now had comparable size and strength to these contemporary species. Since most species were no longer large or strong enough to fend off such attacks, maybe Nergigante began to specialize in regeneration and brute strength to better accentuate this successful hunting strategy. Their regeneration meant sustained wounds weren't a concern and they could use their full strength without fear of injuring themselves.

[@greenhydra10]

The hunted becomes the ultimate hunter.

[@davidegaruti2582]

​@@greenhydra10the ultimate endurance hunter

[@BoisegangGaming]

Someone mentioned that Gaismagorm and the Magalas may be related to Nerg due to similar morphologies, and I kind of like that mixed with this. I'm not an expert on biology but digging seems like a decent way to prevent someone from killing you, so early proto-gais may have started digging while another population remained above-ground. Maybe they all had some form of asexual reproduction (or that was only evolved from a proto-NergiMagala) with the frenzy and spikes because they're small and weaker than the other elders, or at least more vulnerable.

[@sarastagnitto3159]

Where’d you get this giant information from?

[@MatthewTheEmperor]

Shock of shocks if you rely on a gun or a bow a guy dashing past your bullets/arrows and decking you in the lower jaw is going to be pretty effective against you...

[@militarykobold]

I get the feeling that if held at gunpoint to make a video positively describing Magnamalo's ecology and grounded realism, he would reach up and pull the trigger himself. I must applaud your continual fantastic work, Mr. UHC. Jokes aside, I do look forward to Magnamalo getting a proper video eventually, possibly even with a digression about adapting folklore monsters and spirits into more grounded animals- especially since it's likely many of those same folk creatures and yokai were inspired by sightings of real life animals, like (potentially) the kappa and the Japanese giant salamander.

[@alexkazam444]

Dude everytime I look up this channel its always UHC negigante as the first autofill now it finally happened

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

The prophecy has been fulfilled

[@ScanovatheCarnotaurus]

I do think Nergigante’s spikes could play a role in protection, just not as literally as most might think. From the front, nergigante can reliably hold its own against elders due to its sheer strength. However, it might become vulnerable in attacks to the back and hindquarters, which is important when hunting prey as dangerous as elder dragons. I was just reminded of lions in the discussion, as while the stomach in lions is pretty soft they’d rather have opponents there since that’s where they can use their claws, vs getting mauled and badly injured in the back and hindquarters.

[@agisuru]

Also I wouldn't be at all shocked if Nerg was given to cannibalism, so deterring another Nerg's jaws might genuinely be a good reason to be a porcupine

[@supersam5802]

Could it be that nergi sexually mates, stores the zygote in its spines, then embeds them in a nutrient prey, like a sort of a wasp?

[@seiyn6888]

That would be the first parasitic Elder of the series, I like the idea.

[@quinkana1]

I could see both happening, as facultative asexual reproducing species usually can do sexual reproduction when needed.

[@anticksss]

That would be so sick, idc if it's legit or not that's my new headcanon

[@onilord1830]

@@seiyn6888 nergi would already be a parasite, even without this idea.

[@nmo922]

Damn, nerg's elder-bane status would be perfect if he was an actual elder dragon hawk wasp

[@randomblackhole9933]

Something I've noticed with the magala skeleton dragons is that they have a tendency to drop or shed their scales or some other particles, the magalas obviously have their scales laced with frenzy virus, gog dripping with tar, valstrax also has his scales that shed off during flight, nergi and his spikes and gaismagorm with the qurio and qurio crystals on his back. Its very interesting to think about.

[@kingofthesea3382]

"And great izuchi gets completely folded by the wirebug with no way to counter it"

[@BoisegangGaming]

tbh the idea of Nergigante populations being like "oh no we all died because we have no genetic diversity" and then going "well shame that we have a literal minefield of spike-eggs everywhere" is really funny

[@reubencaldwell8494]

My personal headcanon is that Nergigante was once preyed upon by other elders but developed adaptation after adaptation to defend itself and its territory until it became the predator. There was a beetle that did this why frogs.

[@Freeseraphim]

OH YEAH NEW DROP genuinely curious how well this one turns out compared to others especially since he's a world original

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

Watch on to see...

[@Spplaart]

​@@unnaturalhistorychannel Unrealistic. Your expectations for us are too high

[@Freeseraphim]

​@@unnaturalhistorychannel I'm mostly surprised you haven't suggested that the spikes would make a very appealing snack for every creature able to digest whatever the shell is made of. It could be a big part on why there's so few overall. At least seemingly. In the end, he doesn't fall off too far from the older elders in some ways. And I still get annoyed every time I'm reminded how much rajang got a steroids boost since before and how crazier that tiny monkey casually beats up things it has no right to...

[@seiyn6888]

On Espinas defense, the Monster is from Frontier and had to be ported to Sunbreaks style and overall feel, thus some aspects of it's personality and original vision was lost. There's an interesting interview about the porting of Espinas out there. People believening your content as canon should be taken as a compliment on how comited you are and overall quality of the channel.

[@Huntereeno]

The "Elder Discussion" part of this video I thought was pretty interesting. I definitely would like to see the devs really re-evaluate their priorities with Elders.

[@KhezuOnYourScreen]

The possibility of finding multiple Nergigantes hanging out near an elder dragon corpse or a dying elder dragon is terrifying.

[@m.s.e.advanced2842]

I like monsters that use a lot of raw and excessive force, I think it makes Nergi quite unique as an elder. Besides the spikes, he's quite simple and and I love that. Nergi is my favorite new monster in World and one of my top 3 favorites overall.

[@dragoncelt3897]

I think we will get to see Nergigante quite often in future games. He was rated as the second most liked monster during the 20th Anniversary stuff so I reckon the developers will show Nergigante a lot of love. He deserves it, he is such a cool monster.

[@shadowmc2609]

It's perhaps a bit of a reach, but I wonder if the emphasis on Nergigante's horns rather than making him bulkier was meant to evoke something like a bull. Because Nerg isn't just all big 'n strong, he's a *brawler,* he truly throws his weight around with every ounce of ferocity he can muster in a way that can feel evocative of a bullfight. Where Diablos is the more traditional Spanish version with frequent dodging and parrying, Nerg is a much dirtier fighter and evokes a more desperate battle for survival against something that really, REALLY wants you dead.

[@sawyerleeart]

Amazing video! And I really appreciate the shout out man! I’m honored

[@dragonlord4194]

Alright this was a great one! I was wondering how you felt about Nergigante and his role as Elder Gourmet and I'm happy you went into this direction. And the little rant about the Elder Dragons in general was something I could only agree upon. Well mostly. I do feel like Namielle was designed as the counterpart to Vaal Hazak, as the gardener of the Coral Highlands. Since she distributes water around the corals and most likely the electric powers "suck" in clouds to let it rain in thiss oherwise very dry region. I wonder, if you will do a video on Namielle and talk about her potential role in this dynamic between the Highlands and the Vale. Because I feel like one cannot really exist without the other.

[@agisuru]

I will say I'm surprised Nergigante's mouth/jaw anatomy weren't mentioned a bit more. His wide jaw that often hangs open when looking at him gives the impression of a gobbler, something like a toad that tends to just shove food wholesale into its mouth instead of gnawing off meat like a lion would. His jaws seem capable of crushing-- I wouldn't discount their ability to break through Kushala's armor-- but it seems less like his jaw is a weapon than it is just a portal to his stomach. I could easily envision him just swallowing kelbi whole without bothering to really even subdue it first. Also, I would posit that Nerg's horns may not be serving the typical purpose of a horn any longer. Their huge, bulbous, but sturdy design makes them seem almost like more of a shield, similar to the impression given by a ceratopsian frill. They could very well be more about making it nearly impossible for, say, another Nerg to get its mouth around Nerg's neck.

[@lucasvega4216]

*NEVER* take what the guild says at face value, they literally classify animals by *'kind'* instead of *'taxa',* they haven't even developed binomial nomenclature yet.

[@kingkobra4910]

If nerg/Ruiner shows up in wilds I wonder if they go the invader route with them. Nerg was limited in locales it could show up at but Ruiner wasn’t.

[@skrilllfury2120]

Gonna be honest, I was not expecting you to cover Nergi any time soon (I’m bad at recognizing monster roars), given the fact that he’s uhhhh… well. You know. Still, I’m very glad that you’ve done him, and I’ll update this once I can sit down for the full half-hour.

[@HarverTheSlayer]

I can't be the only one that thinks that the Nergigante concept design in 31:05 became the basis for Gaismagorn in Rise. There's way too many similarities.

[@johnwayne387]

Yeah, I was also being reminisced about Morudomunto by it, although I can't remember if it already existed when World came out

[@elijahcafazzo-joyette8226]

I wonder if Nergigante and Xeno/Safi’Jiva don’t have a symbiotic relationship. The elder crossing was because of Jiva trying to absorb bio energy from dying elders, right? You’d assume as a massive concentration of bio energy, Jiva would be at the top of Nerg’s list for meals. But I assume it doesn’t go after Jiva as it provides a buffet line for Nerg and a surplus of reproductive fodder/nutrients. If that was the shape of their relationship (if they have one at all), I wonder if there isn’t a point where Jiva would no longer be a useful provider and Nerg would try to predate it, possibly after it hatches and before it metamorphoses.

[@TiredofGaming]

I think that's because safi regenerates as well, so it would just be a waste of energy if two constantly regenerating monsters fought each other, and safi is probably too powerful for nergi to handle at its prime

[@dragoncelt3897]

@@TiredofGaming 100%. I love Nergigante but Safi'Jiva is definitely too powerful for any type of Nergigante, Safi is just on a different level. Safi might even be a rival to Fatalis for all we know. The developers talked about how they wanted the Safi'Jiva Siege to rival the original Fatalis fight in the first game, by saying that they might also mean that Safi rivals Fatalis when it comes to power.

[@darthvaderreviews6926]

This is mostly speculation, but I actually think it's possible Nergigante is a lot smarter than anyone knows and _was_ going after the 'Jiivas. Initially, Nergi is on the trail of Zorah Magdaros. The Hunter's Guild go for the safe assumption it's just feeding, _but_ we later find Zorah is chasing the everstream to the source and is potentially going to blow up the continent thanks to that, with Nergigante still trying to attack the creature. Then, you find Nergi deep in the Elder's Recess. Seems to just be feeding, _but_ then you find Xeno at the heart of the Everstream. Nergi was pretty much on its doorstep when you killed it. Ruiner Nergi then shows up on the Isle of Origin, having clearly tracked down Shara Ishvalda. And then finally, Ruiner Nergi appears at the Guiding Lands, once again on a 'Jiiva's doorstep, when you kill it. Interestingly, we see it kill a Bazelgeuse (the _only_ appearance of a regular Bazel in Iceborne) which we know are an invasive species. We could honestly also construe instances of it attacking us as the same thing, humans are an invasive species to the New World. It's very far from a solid theory, but there is a pattern of Nergigante being on the trail of and directly attacking major threats to the ecosystem. I kind of like the idea that there's ambiguity on if Nergigante is just a violent animal following the smell of food, genuinely has some awareness of existential threats to the ecosystem, or just fills this ecological protector niche incidentally.

[@TiredofGaming]

@@darthvaderreviews6926 I like your point, but the jiivas were the ones that influenced this ecosystem for their own nourishment, so it was basically just a guy bakes a cake and then gets killed before he can finish eating it. If anything humans and nergi interrupted a natural cycle by killing off the jiivas (unless more take their place probably)

[@AedanTheGrey]

​@@darthvaderreviews6926fascinating ideas

[@plantsoup6456]

I like the portion of series analysis you did for this one, and would love to see more in future videos, monster hunter or otherwise.

[@CousinChal]

When I started with World I was a bit confused by people being excited about returning monsters like, surely you'd want new monsters, right? Then when I saw Nergigante in the Stories 2 trailer I truly understood.

[@GeneralGoji]

I am mildly surprised crocs and Abelisaurs didn’t get a mention as his head looks like a Carnotaurus that got beat with an ugly stick

[@logr12dragonknight55]

Given how in the cutscenes from monster hunter world showed Nergigante stabbing a arm of spikes into Zora, I think the plan was for the spikes to hatch around the time of Zora before it blew up which would have killed Xeno’jiiva & the young nergigante that were in Zora would eat the bio energy the two elders would release but thanks to the hunters of the new world, Zora went into the Ocean with the spikes before it blew up,if any of the spikes survived then in the future we could see a sub or rare species of Nergigante that is aquatic base, which would give Capcom another reason to add underwater combat in a future game, especially since one of the most popular monsters are the franchise has a family member within its genus that is based off water

[@bigmoe9856]

On the lack of genetic diversity, I like to think that Nergi can occiasionally come across the spikes of other Nergi and eat them to acquire dna. That particular individual may not change, but, their own spikes with spawn individuals who have the potential to grow up unique to their mother if environmental pressures draw out the latent genes of their father.

[@thedappercritter6644]

Never thought I'd see such a good argument in Nergigante's favour, but I wholly agree with your points! Besides your closing arguments, I really enjoyed your theory for how the spikes' reproduction could work with its hunting habits!

[@janetlapham3919]

i interpreted nergigante as a parasitoid. the preference for elders, and the interest in taking on targets far too large for them to consume themselves makes more sense with parasitoidy.

[@RWNetworkEX]

My favorite monster finally gets his own video. Great work

[@sythrus]

It could be that nerg only rarely needs to hunt elder dragons, either because whatever it hunts them for stays in its system for a long time, or that it usually stashes them away for long term consumption. That could explain why the jaw seems fairly small, since it has the luxury of taking its time with its prey, and not much would be willing to try and steal from it. Bit of an odd theory here, but its horns could have originally been used for sexual competition, but lingered as a way to judge the health of a rival nerg, helping them avoid fighting eachother if they would be at a clear disadvantage. That, or it somehow uses its horns to help tenderize its meals. The reason they may have to hunt elders could actually be their regeneration stops functioning without the resources from an elder, potentially similar to how rajang gains electrical power from kirin (hell, it could be that nerg's ancestors were regular monsters that hunted bio-energy rich prey, and essentially evolved into elders) One final thing, the large amounts of bio-energy that elders have could actually be their saving grace in regards to avoiding extinction, with the possibility that most elders have what is essentially a 'hyper repopulation' behaviour that could happen if there gets to be to few of them in a region. It seems rather odd that elders are only now being overwhelmed, and this could have potentially happened before as part of a cycle. Anyways im done with my crazy theories that probably dont make much sense, ciao

[@williansnobre]

I like how Nergigante is basically a Normal-type. The spikes being a way for them reproduce kinda makes sense. It would be ridiculously overkill but I assume that they need a viable target to hunt to use as host for the spike eggs, so they don't reproduce out of control.

[@robertmol5373]

This video is all fine and dandy, but we need a 10 hour long analysis on the wiggler and it's consequences on the new world

[@IronTigrex]

I think you bring a very interesting point that has been running in my head for a while now: the "powerscaling" and its issues, since on one hand we have the lore which can go from "pretty good" to "not that great" (I refuse to believe Fatalis razed an entire country in a single night) and on the other hand we have the gameplay that kinda needs monsters to be on somewhat separate levels to give the player a sense of progression but means we get monsters that seemingly have nothing in common in terms of power and abilities in the same bracket. To be honest, it might just be a case of developpers wanting to make their "creation" look cooler than what came beforehand or to make a monster look extra special (I remember the cutscene between Agnaktor and Brachydios in 4th gen, and I might be in the minority but I didn't like how it made Agnaktor look like a chump for a monster of that size and strength, same with the Flaming Espinas vs Teostra cutscene). I hope MH6 will manage to juggle with that better. "Powercreeping" to make your new stuff look cooler isn't a good process (if you do that you'll just end up with some of the endgame elders from Frontier). You don't make your special wyvern look awesome by dispatching a fully grown rathalos just by sneezing. You need to give it interesting features, attacks and ecology. And you can show it dueling with another species from the same "danger bracket" without wiping the floor with it (Seregios vs Rathian and Rathalos is a perfect example of that). Rant over. Keep up the good work man! As a fellow zoologist and monster afficionado, I must say your channel has been one of the best content I've seen in a while.

[@DarkestImperator]

My view of Nergigante has been warped, I think he's a nice addition... pure brute force and otherworldly strength like the Blos wyverns and Tigrex, non-elemental tyrants. My issue comes from the fact that seemingly a lot of the fandom insists he can wipe the entire Monster Hunter roster with no difficulty.

[@raisp6073]

The opposite is also said ironically, with some thinking it only goes for the weak/it’s not strong itself

[@Huntereeno]

Power scaling and it's consequences have been a disaster for fandom discussions

[@shagarumedic]

One of the most toxic reply threads I’ve ever seen was under a yt short about Ruiner vs Primordial, it was wild

[@DarkestImperator]

@@shagarumedic I can't even imagine.... *sigh *😔. I came across a tiktok not too long ago, it's contents was something similar. Nergigante vs Balerion (in his prime) from the GOT/HOTD series... It was insane how blind and opinionated people can be.

[@gallixypegasuss1546]

​ Same thing with the Tekken Nerg vs. Alatreon card. Given specific circumstances Nerg can easily dispatch an Alatreon. But in an all-out brawl? Nerg will 7/15 times lose...as a Ruiner. Tho I can see Nerg, if having prior experience, being able to at least dominate 95% of the non-elders in the World/Iceborne roster

[@jamescampbell4416]

Something something durian joke

[@shoobzy3431]

Nergigante: Eater of durians

[@TiredofGaming]

I am become durian, destroyer of World

[@lackinganame7857]

I like the angry porcupine.

[@dichotomusprime6646]

So I've been thinking about Nerg's ecology for north of a year, pretty much ever since I started watching your videos, so I have a thought that I hope you'll indulge me on: With respect to the horns: I don't think that this theory clashes with anything in your video insofar as Neg's use of them for intraspecific combat, but here we go. A couple of things make me think that Nerg could be the equivalent of the Peregrine Falcon of Elder Dragons re: the divebomb: - The extra robust muscles around the head, neck and shoulder regions - The wings have a proximal portion that is clearly both durable, armored, and muscular enough to be used as a bludgeoning weapon (at least versus the hunter) - The actual Death Dive Nerg does as a move in his fight - Nerg's wings are proportionally wider and more muscular compared to his body when placed next to other similarly sized Elders. In his cutscene taking off from Zorah's back, the force and altitude he can gain quickly stands out to me. We're also told that he often (though not exclusively, as you mentioned) predates Elders making the Elder crossing once they've exhausted themselves. Having the physiology necessary to quickly gain altitude, position itself for a dive, and then streamline itself into a bullet and stunning (if not outright killing) something the size of Teostra or Kushala seems pretty plausible to me. I think an interesting wrinkle to the above theory is also Nerg's regeneration. Apart from an adaptation to resist other Elders' dermal weapons, it might be something that could help it recover from the physical trauma from the blunt impact of a kill-dive (if its physical robusticity isn't enough to fully tank the blunt force impact of colliding with another multi-tonne creature midair). Given that we know Nerg will pursue even ridiculously outsized prey like Zorah, the capacity to somewhat disregard physical damage to itself in short-bursts might also open up the trophic niche of being able to similarly smash into even something the size of the Jiivas is, while risky, not impossible. Nerg might lose in a fair fight versus either, but if you get hit by a 1000kg of dragon going 100kph, the odds change significantly. if you've ever been riding a motorcycle and felt the impact of something as small as a bird while going highway speeds, a proportionally small creature can absolutely knock the shit out of you. As always, amazing work, you continue to be one of my top fave creators on KZbin!!

[@thecanadiandane7262]

Nergigante and gore magala’a biology have expanded what I believe a monster could do or be so much

[@locustofchiron]

I was always kinda lukewarm on Nergigante, I've always felt he didn't really feel like an Elder, just a really strong flying wyvern. It's difficult to really convey Regeneration in gameplay in a way that isn't infuriating, I never really picked up that was supposed to be it's gimmic by the thorns.

[@dapperraptor8789]

32:26 That jab at rise got good laugh out of me Great video as always!

[@raidennc]

FINALLY! THIS is the one I've been waiting for! Can't wait to watch

[@Jsteel25Gamer]

I’ve been waiting for this! Such a unique and amazing monster!

[@flightlesslord2688]

I like to think of Nergigante as a spiky giant slug that fights its mates like a ram, whilst also using other elders for parthenogenesis

[@whiteninji352]

And there’s Nergi was waiting for this one

[@the_g.b.c13]

What I expected: An analysis of Nergi spike reproduction/behavior What I was left with: An analysis of Nergi, plus the depressing idea that elders are a dying lineage that will soon be extinct…… This was a great vid! 12/10 will watch again😂

[@rylanbrewer3320]

Yeah

[@MatthewTheEmperor]

Yeesh! you were *laying* into Magnamalo in this video... Like you weren't even trying to hide it since I could hear your change in tone every time you brought him up.

[@matheusbianquincera3104]

Love these elder videos, excited to see a video on the antlion-hindu-god (shara) especially since i think outside killstealing the hunter i doubt ruiner could have dealt with him otherwise or even used him as a incubator, both due to shara's living undeground which could displace not well lodged spikes and also due to shara's focused pressure jets, he's very intelligent and has concept of his own body (able to pass the mirror test) as shown when he "kicks" off the hunter, the same blast could be used to remove spikes or larva nergi from the body just like how humans do with ticks and fly larva

[@agisuru]

I do think that it is VERY funny that Nergigante is a serial baby-eater. In both his appearance in World and in Stories 2, Nergigante arrives in pursuit of a giant newborn-- Xeno'jiiva and Oltura. Not at all strange behavior in the natural world, just funny coincidence.

[@ProfessionalNamielleLewder69]

It makes sense. Huge pools of bioenergy that are still juveniles sound like easy pickings... in theory. We all know what Oltura and Xeno can do.

[@czar9341]

Love your videos, man!

[@nicholasware446]

Nerg is definitely a creature in the series that is such a good *monster* that I can get over the fact that he's not a great *animal* , if that makes sense. Makes him stand out as a sort of dangerous freak when lined up with World's otherwise very grounded original monsters, and he's definitely a dangerous freak if nothing else. Love his vibes, love his fight, love the impact he's had on the series.

[@Adam-gk2mg]

Considering the size of Zorah Magdaros, seems feasible to me that Nergigante could plant multiple batches of spikes on the Elder Dragon and use them in a similar fashion as parasitic wasps who lay their eggs on spiders or cockroaches. Considering Zorahs are also prone to long migrations, this could similarly serve as a dispersal method for young Nergigante, so populations in one region don't get too crowded.

[@owenconroy1262]

Love the vid!! Your uploads are genuinely my favorite on this app

[@Nrex117]

I wonder if Nergigante is another factor that keeps Gore Magala and by extension Shagaru populations in check. A premature dragon that has comparatively high seasonal/plague outbreak populations sounds like a perfect opportunity for an organism that primarily predates other dragons.

[@sadaderlangga17]

His turf war with Rajang is just the best. "Rajang with the clean uppercut!" "AND NERGIGANTE SLAP THE MONKEY ACROSS THE FIELD!!!"

[@Gigi4u]

You know what would be a interesting moster concept that should appear in the games a butterfly moster. Because right now there aren't many arthropod monsters in the games. The butterfly monster would have two forms, a grub stage and the adult butterfly stage. The grub would be a massive monster that uses its sheer size and weight as weapon. It would also utilize silk attacks to try to fix the hunter in place to crush him its attacks. The butterfly form would be a very fast and nimble moster that has surprisingly large wings to knock players over with gusts of wind. It's erratic flight patterns would be hard to predict because it still flys like a normal butterfly. However it is a lot less tanky than it previous grub stage so of you damage its wings enough it will prevent it from creating any more gusts of wind. Maby other bug moster like beetles would reuse the rig from the butterfly monsters grub form for it's own grub stage just like how some monsters in the games share the same or similar rigs with other monsters like Langombi and Arzuros for example.

[@blastshooter8791]

Great video been waiting for a while to see Nergigante on the channel and you didn't disappoint. Nergigante is my favorite flagship because he kicked my ass until I got good and learned the game to beat him, for that he got my respect and honor of being one of my favorite monsters. I do agree on the argument about him being first elder you fight does hurt him a little bit and having nothing in the environment like the mentioned elder dragon carcasses also hurt his claim of being the eater of elders. Overall hope he is in wilds and is given the time of day to show off that he earned his title as the eater of elders while at the same time being a wall for most to overcome.

[@tahaelhour690]

Bro I was not ready for that great Izuchi slander 😂

[@silversol8476]

I'm really glad you made the point to let viewers know that what you say in your videos is purly observational outside of the series lore and not canon, as i had a few people recommend this video to me saying its "Irrefutable proof that Nergigante can kill Fatalis and other Black Dragons with ease". I really enjoy your videos, and surprised that I didn't get a notification for this one. So far, I'd have to say your video on the Tigrex is my favorite.

[@TsulaAngenati2292]

I’ve had some peculiar theories on Nergigante 1-He evolved from a badger-like dragon that fed on bioenergy crystals that he used his claws to dig and his horns to bash and uproot and converted to predatory habits due to an environmental cutoff 2-They use their spines in a similar manner how lions use their manes- their horns serve as markers of fitness while their spines are physical deterrents against grapplings 3-Their spines aren’t truly their eggs but instead their eggs simply resemble the same spines they use as territorial markers

[@sponkon1337]

Gotta love it when a monster only needs good ol muscles to send you back to camp, no fancy element(s)/status needed even if i dont dislike it per se Its just refreshing to fight something like Diablos once in a while with how many high tier elemental monsters there are compared to non-elemental ones

[@Christian64124]

Know you probably get lots of suggestions, but I had an idea for a possible future video. Zinogre, one of my personal favorites, is often identified with wolves cause the howling they do in their cry. If you ever decide to do a Zinogre video, possibly a closer comparison is the wolverine. Burly beast, well equipped to fighting bigger animals, and I rememer reading that an indigenous name for the wolverine, sadly don't remember which group it was from, translated as "Wolf bear."

[@viniciuspaiva3578]

That’s Monsterverse Godzilla, but without radiation

[@RDY-ye9cz]

I like the idea that many of the elder dragons (and some non elders like Deviljho and maybe Rajang due to its reliance on Kirin) going the route of the mega beasts of the ice age with them not being able to adapt to the changing environment, competition from other monsters and human activity. The elemental dragons I could see going extinct in the next few thousand years in the MH universe while ones like the Magalas, Gaismagorm, Malzeno and maybe Chameleos and Nergigante (if it can adapt to a diet of non elder dragons) being able to adapt and become the more “common” elder dragons. Also can’t wait to see the next spec eco short. One idea that I’d think would be interesting is covering potential man eaters in MH.

[@redparr8490]

The great predator of predators

[@Arguyus]

I think the reason we don't see dead elders might be because he eats the entire dragon, bones and all.

[@DiaSynapsid]

Come for the Nergie analysis, stay for the overall discussion on the Watsonian and Doylist history on Elder Dragons.

[@michaelblevins1651]

There is a chance that a Nergigante Must Prep a spike in a specific way to actually have it form a new Nergigante

[@nuke2099]

Its noted in game that Ruiner happens when a Nergigante becomes battle-scarred. Its basically a older more experienced Nerg. Should also be noted that the one in the base game and Ruiner are two separate Nergigante which means in canon only two appear during the events and before Safi is discovered the Ruiner was killed. I also have some headcanon that the reason why Nergigante is barely seen in the Old World even though that's where its originally from is because not only are Elders more rare there but Nergigante have a habit of going after Fatalis there which is a natural culling machine to them. Nergigante in MH Stories 2 is also shown as being reckless to the point of suicide against the big bad there and it seems to be too "locked in" when it comes to combat even against foes which are too strong for it. Perhaps its this that keeps them in check. I also think its possible that Nergs biggest predator other than certain Elders (or losing against similar sized Elders) is itself.

[@JanusHoW]

I have this headcanon as to how Nergigante as a species can avoid having a genetic bottleneck: They incorporate the genes of their prey into the spike-embryos somehow, essentially turning their victims into the other parent; either that or the bioenergy they consume causes slight mutations in their spawn just as the swapping of genes occurs when cells divide. Either way, this could have suddenly given rise to Ruiner Nergigante after dozens or hundreds of generations of eating from different elder dragons, just as random mutations that allow for greater reproductive success eventually create a new species. Also, curious - who would win: Risen Shagaru Magala or Tempered Ruiner Nergigante?

[@diegodankquixote-wry3242]

Blud spent 97% of his evolutionary history being someone else's lunch.

[@starslayer8390]

And he's very mad about it.

[@TheBitingBat]

YT didn't give me a notification that this came out. Glad I caught it cause Nergi is easily on my top ten of gen5 newcomers

[@temporal712]

Man, I had a feeling you were not going to Like Nergi, this might be one of your best videos yet. Great Ecology, and it made me learn a lot! The idea of a black dragon/ "Siege monster" carcass essentially being a whalefall of the species was inspired. I can totally see Nergigante mating essentially being a fight and the loser being inseminated due to all the spines. My Guess as too the impetus for the Asexual Evolution taking over, and dominating the species would involve the presence of other elders. You mentioned how many Elders Elemental Abilities could also work as a baby Nergigante deterrent, perhaps the Asexual Reproduction caught so well as it meant less risk in rearing seed. It's less costly for a Nergi to lose crop of young if it's just themselves doing the reproducing instead of a pair. More things to go wrong for more effort put in on a species that I have to imagine sees a lot of mortality despite its reputation.

[@devlynhurley9972]

I think it's worth considering that ruiner nergigantes are simply the result of extremely rich host items, therefore the ruiner in iceborne could be a child from a spike left in zorah before it died, the immense amount of bio energy within zorah may have allowed the child to grow much faster than usual and create much stronger spikes such as the metal ones seen on ruiner

[@MetroidJr1220]

I remember coming up with a new Elder Dragon that would get into fights with other Elders. Funnily enough, my hypothetical dragon was also spiky and had horns. I was told the idea was ridiculous and that it would be too OP. Fast forward to World, where an Elder Dragon that actively hunts other Elders is received with massive fan approval, going so far as to be ranked the #2 favorite monster. Life is brilliant.

[@redtsun67]

I wonder if Nergigante reproduces similar to how certain wasps parasitize insects by laying their eggs inside them, whereupon the larva will hatch and eat the host from the inside out. Maybe Nergigante's spikes only start growing when they are embedded into live prey. This would basically be a win-win for Nergigante. If it succeeds in taking down prey, it gets to eat. If it fails, it's spikes will gestate and hatch onto a host.

[@Animortar]

I personally feel that Monster Hunters strength Is their ability to blend the fantastical with grounded explanations and that they should stick with this design philosophy for the majority of the Monsters. Fatalis Is an exception since he works well when there Is no solid explanation to his existence but stuff like Magnamalo feels more at home In Pokémon or Final Fantasy than In Monster Hunter.

[@xemiii]

Man, finally seeing nerg here didn't disappoint. The comparison to bedbug genitals was novel, as I always thought of the spikes akin to a starfish arm growing a body. The former now allows me to see how something like nerg would work if it were possible. What I especially appreciated was the more meta parts of the video talking about the themes and implementation of nergigante, and now I realize that I'd love to see a more consumption-based design with less pronounced horns and a horrific mouth. I'm pretty biased in favor of nergigante, I love reptiles and world was my first mh game, and while I do have peeves with it's design and role in the game (why the fuck is ruiner locked at MR 100, so obnoxious) I still love "big ugly" and hope it returns in wilds.

[@austinames9340]

Happy to see you've warmed up to Nerg! Though I do agree that something like Kinsbane or Red Death could've made for a better design. Regarding Elder Dragons being outcompeted, do you think future MH games will lean into that and have fewer Elders? Or do you think they'll handwave it with Elders evolving new tricks to take the fight to these elder-level threats?

[@ramusn.6394]

I think Nergi is a good balance of outrageous and sensible, the things he does make sense if he is out there fighting Elders and such. I think Flaming Espinas kinda demonstrates what happens when you don't properly balance it out by having that pretty lame intro cutscene that feels like a jerk off to the monster rather than demonstrating what they are about, like the scene of Ruiner taking a Bagel down.

[@cosmictraveler1146]

Idk that nuke in its cutscene was perfectly illustrated on why to avoid it in any circumstances

[@alexegbert7274]

On the point of Elders seeming like they're going extinct from competition and lack of breeding, I have to wonder if how much they reproduce is affected by external factors, and we might see an increase in Wilds or any game after, once the population is sufficiently culled by our desire for gear. I also have to wonder just how common these competitors are because they tend to be regarded as rare or unseen creatures in lore, and frankly, if the Rajang population ever eclipsed the Kirin population it might be a death knell for both. Or maybe we could just see the rise of true brute force Rajang with no lightning.

[@KingKarRool]

Here’s my take on nergs spikes. The spikes make it harder for elder dragons of similar size to grapple with nergigante. Especially around the head and neck with the giant horns also in the way. which is why they point slightly backwards. Just like how shepards put spiked collars on guard dogs to protect their vitals from wolves. The underside doesn’t really need the same protection because of his powerful jaws, legs ,and claws. The spikes would also create more surface area to block ranged attacks like fireballs. The spikes allow Nerg to use his superior strength to overpower other elders while covering most of his weak points.

[@rhobutoma6002]

"Solid simple brute force back and forth between monster and hunter" Really describes why I love Primordial Malzeno without the curio and makes me wish he gets a future overhaul of his fight focusing on his elegant hard hitting physical attacks in the future because bringing him back with qurio doesn't sound right. I really love the fight even if he keeps killing me it just feels so fun until the qurio comes and makes him spam dragon and bloodblight projectiles ( I have low Dragon Res so its painful) that kinda lose the "back and forth" between the monster and hunter.

[@-lijosu-]

About Elders: You can crucify me if you really want, but I wouldn’t mind a huge retcon and reset for their lore. It really has become about powerscaling and I’d really like to have anything at all to explain the existence of elder dragons, or a very intentional redaction of as much information as possible.

[@theawesomestuff2408]

I've always felt rather mixed about Nergigante. I like its appearance, and the ecology side of its lore, and this video definitely delivered with the speculation of possible sexual-related history and behavior. The concept of a "no bullshit" so to say monster tossing about walking nuclear bombs just by sheer strength is rather appealing, and catching a Turf War with one is always a treat. But I've always felt it was FAR too easy a fight compared to its contemporaries. I find it hard to believe Nergigante regularly hunts Elders when it spends the entire battle tripping over itself, and then I go fight Lunastra and get instantly battered, cooked, and served with fries. Iceborne trying to declare it "protector of the ecosystem", whatever that means, when it merely finished off a nearly dead Shara just made it feel like a dev pet, and Ruiner Nergigante is just a pushover you grind for Great Spiritvein Gems. I also agree that "Elder Dragon" swerved too hard into being a powerscaler trophy, so now everyone and their mom is "Elder level" because monsters just aren't cool enough if they can't beat up Teostra. The Metal Raths are "Elder level". Yian Garuga is "Elder level". Some random pointy Fanged Wyvern is "Elder level" Guess my favorite monster, Glavenus, is no good because it's not "Elder level".

[@LordRazer3]

My friend found Nerg vary difficult to fight. I'm a bowgun main so it was easy for the most part and later on just plain bullying. Fun fight

[@kennethsatria6607]

As a huge fan of Nergigante. Yeah I think bulking him up to be more like a bear would be very cool to show his strength as opposed to that slimmer muscle body he has now. Though I wouldnt make him too fat or inflated either so as to not cross with Deviljho and Magnamalo. Head size and horns feel alright though. You dont need to be a ravenous void to be a hunter or eater of Elder dragons especially when he simply predates them and not like the always starving Deviljho

[@LarksTonguesInAspic73]

With how many videos you've made on large monsters, will you ever make a video that explores the smaller life (like kelbi or the various endemic life of World) of the MH world and their place on the ecosystem?

[@benchambers1439]

I wanna see different Nergigante strains now

[@_Tzer]

rajang is likely better at hunting kirin in particular due to thunder resistance. but elemental weakness doesnt matter much to nergigante.

[@matteogalbusera1149]

Why did this took this long, did you wanted to wait for another elder crossing before making this or what, love this btw so keep up😂😂😂❤❤❤

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

I was simply dragon my feet

[@matteogalbusera1149]

@@unnaturalhistorychannel nice🤣🤣🤣